A mind trick that fights inflammation

"It turned out that the group with the highest measured levels of self-compassion before the study – the ones who had acceptance of themselves – had the lowest IL-6 (inflammation) response to stress.

This is a powerful message: Stress in inevitable, but our relationship with ourselves in the present moment contributes to whether we flood our body with inflammation or find calming balance for our body to thrive.

Acceptance and compassion toward ourselves can fight chronic inflammation from stress and in turn help decrease the risk of health problems.

This is the immense power that your thoughts and emotions have over your health. I see so many people who eat perfectly but stay unwell in part due to the unhealthy emotional pain and stress they are holding on to.

This is a message to forgive yourself and forgive others. You can’t heal a body you hate.

What you can do to boost self-compassion:

One of the side effects of our new breed of chronic stress is the mental and emotional alienation from our true selves and others. We get lost in our own mind, consumed with a constant stream of obsessive, repetitive thoughts.

I recommend practicing daily habits that bring peace and calm into your life, such as mindfulness meditation and yoga, as well as taking breaks from social media.

Finally, be kind to yourself. Make it a daily practice to have unconditional acceptance of who and where you are right now."